I started subscribing to Seventeen Magazine when I was about 11 or 12 years old. Out of habit, I have constantly renewed my subscription. While unfortunately the magazine isn't the greatest source of young female empowerment, I am generally okay with most of its articles. However, today I received the April Issue in the mail, and was shocked after reading an article about halfway through the magazine. I decided to write an email to the magazine and unfortunately got an automated response.
(There is a picture of the article underneath the letter)
Here is my letter:
Dear Seventeen,
I have subscribed to your magazine for a few years now.
I was flipping through the pages of the April Issue, when I came across an article titled "do you fall too fast?". Interested, I saw that I was meant to check statements to determine whether I should "slooow down!" or "pick up the pace!". I was already concerned with the wording, considering I find no situation in which preteen/teen girls should be told to pick up the pace regarding any decision they make, especially those made in relationships with boys. I read through the statements and was shocked when I read "The guy you've been flirting with asks for a racy pic on Snapchat. Rather than send him one, your response would be, "Coming right up...in your dreams!" highlighted in orange, telling me that meant I needed to "pick up the pace". The implication is that refusing to send nudes to a boy (as a minor) means that I am moving too slowly in my relationship because I'm "worried about things not working out". However, I believe that not sending nude pictures to boys is simply following the law (child pornography is illegal). This article uses pressure to essentially tell girls that if they do not feel comfortable breaking the law and objectifying themselves by sending nude pictures, that they need to "pick up the pace!" in order to get a boy to like them.
While these few sentences in your magazine may seem inconsequential, they play into the already ever present pressure put on young girls to become more and more sexualized at a young age in order to be accepted by society. As a magazine that young girls read, I would hope that you can see the flaw in this article and take this opportunity to remind your readers that any decision they make to move slower in relationships is completely okay.
Thank you,
Lande Watson
Thank you,
Lande Watson
(You can contact Seventeen at dearseventeen@seventeen.com or mail@seventeen.com)
